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Anla'Shok
The '''Anla'Shok' are an elite fighting force, originally founded by Valen during the First Shadow War to stand apart from the feuding Warrior Clans of the age. In Valen's words, they were to be "a military group dedicated to nothing less than preserving the future and all life. Even our enemy's life, if possible." The word "Anla'Shok", is loosely translated into English as Rangers.In Valen's Name History Founding The Anla'Shok were founded on Minbar by Valen during the First Shadow War, shortly before the formation of the Grey Council. As the Council was formed to unify the Minbari government, the Anla'Shok was formed to unify the Minbari military. Until that point each of the military clans had its own fighting force and they would constantly argue over tactics, strategy and leadership, causing as much harm to the war effort as the technological superiority of the enemy. Tensions even escalated to the point where fighting broke out between some of the clans. When Valen formed the Rangers, he ensured it was made up of warriors from all the clans of the Warrior Caste and all were trained in the customs and tradition drawn from all clans, but made into a new form, unique to the Anla'Shok. Most importantly of all, each Anla'shok would no longer swear allegiance to fight for their clan but to the Entil'Zha and fight only on his behalf. For the next several years, Valen personally led the Anla'Shok and all of the allied worlds against the Shadows until their defeat. In the process, the Rangers became the most efficient and deadly fighting force the galaxy has ever seen. However Valen saw the danger in this and knew that once their enemy was defeated, the Anla'Shok could grow dissatisfied and restless and in the event that the wrong person might become Entil'Zha, the Rangers could turn into a force for conquest and power. Valen's Legacy With the end of the Shadow War Valen, not wanting the Minbari Warriors to lose the unifying symbol that the Anla'Shok had become and revert to their old ways of disharmony and infighting, re-tasked the Rangers with a new mission; to become sentries and watchers, looking for the signs and collecting information quietly on Minbar, from returning travelers and friendly sources on other worlds, watching and waiting for the day when the Shadows would return. With that Valen left the Rangers and Minbar with his family, never to be seen again and for the next thousand years, the Rangers did as Valen instructed and kept the tradition of the Rangers alive. Over the centuries, their numbers, resources and influence would dwindle until they were little more than a few old men, dealing in whispers and rumors. When the time was upon them when Valen said the Shadows would begin moving again, the Grey Council had become complacent after a millennium of peace and stability. Few of its members truly believed in the prophecies of Valen, some even going so far as mocking the Anla'Shok and secretly considering them to be an obsolete embarrassment continued only out of a sense of tradition and their debt to Valen. The Second Shadow War When Jeffrey Sinclair revitalized the Anla'Shok in 2259, there was still discomfort among some Minbari about them. They therefore built training centers near other races, such as on Zagros VII.Matters of Honor The Third Age and Beyond With the formation of the Interstellar Alliance at the end of 2261, the Anla'Shok were incorporated into the Alliance structure as the means to create the peace; patrolling the borders of member worlds and making sure that if one race planned to attack the other, all would know about it.Rising Star In 2266, following the Drakh attack on Earth and their release of a bio-genetic plague, ISA President Sheridan tasked the Anla'Shok with searching the galaxy for a cure and coordinating with the new starship Excalibur to follow up on anything they find.A Call to Arms Following the Second Earth Alliance Civil War and subsequent Great Burn of 2762, the Anla'Shok infiltrated the now devastated Earth, with its civilisation reduced to a pre-technological, technophobic state. Rather than attempt to openly rebuild, they instead worked in secret for centuries, helping to slowly rebuild and reintroduce technology before eventually taking Earth's people back to the stars. By 1002262, with Sol unnaturally approaching nova, the Anla'Shok were the last to download the last of Earth's records and evacuate to New Earth.The Deconstruction of Falling Stars Leadership, Ranks and Titles "Anla'Shok" and later the English equivalent "Ranger" are also used as a simple honorific to refer to anyone who has completed Ranger training. Entil'Zha Title originally held by Valen when he formed the Anla'Shok. The exact meaning is unknown, but believed to have been derived from Vorlon.To Dream in the City of Sorrows Subsequent leaders of the Anla'Shok after Valen took on the title of Anla'Shok Na, this was to honor the memory of Valen. This tradition continued for 900 years until Jenimer requested that Jeffrey Sinclair take on the title and reunite Entil'Zha with Anla'shok Na. :Persons known to have held this position: - *(Circa 1260 - Circa 1360) Valen *(Circa 1360 - 2259) UNOCCUPIED *(2259 - 2260) Jeffrey Sinclair *(2260 - 2279) Delenn *(2279 - 2281) John Sheridan Anla'Shok Na The title given to the current leader of the Anla'shok in the time after Valen, until the title "Entil'Zha" was reintroduced for Jeffery Sinclair, as a fulfillment of Valen's prophecy. Literally means "Ranger One". To Dream in the City of Sorrows :Persons known to have held this position: - * (Circa 1260 - Circa 1360) Valen War Without End * (Circa 1360 - unknown) Unknown To Dream in the City of Sorrows * (unknown - 2246) Lenonn In the Beginning * (2247 - 2259) Turval To Dream in the City of Sorrows * (2259 - 2260) Jeffrey Sinclair In Darkness Find Me, Points of Departure * (2260 - 2279) Delenn Grey 17 Is Missing * (2279 - 2281) John Sheridan Sleeping in Light * (2281 - 2345) Susan Ivanova Sleeping in Light Anla'Shok High Council By 2265, this council was part of the Anla'Shok leadership structure.The Legend of the Rangers *Example: Sindell Sech Essentially means "teacher" or "Sensei". *Example: Sech Turval Shok-na The Anla'Shok equivalent of a Captain. *Example: Shok-na David Martel Shok-nali The Anla'Shok equivalent of a First officer. *Example: Shok-nali Dulann Anla'Shok/Ranger "Anla'Shok" and later the English equivalent "Ranger" are also used as a simple, interchangeable honorific to refer to anyone who has completed Ranger training. :Some persons known to have held this position: - * Anla'Shok Sakai * Anla'Shok Cole * Anla'Shok Lennier Ranger Trainee Before an individual completes their training, they are referred to as a "trainee". The Minbari equivalent of this term is unknown.Lennier was referred to as "Ranger Trainee Lennier" by Captain Enrique Montoya Membership The Anla'Shok were originally a purely Minbari organization, with its members made up of only those born into or called to the Warrior Caste. Like most Minbari cultural institutions, the Anla'Shok conformed to societal norms and initially had no members of the Worker Caste, though the caste still made ships and weapons for them, and no dealings with the Religious Caste at all, although the leader of the Anla'Shok was known to seek counsel from its members. According to some Minbari, later in the Shadow War Valen opened the Anla'Shok to recruits from the Religious and Worker castes as well. After his departure, only warriors were allowed to join. When Jeffrey Sinclair became the new Anla'Shok Na in 2259, he did so on the condition that along with allowing humans to join that members from all three Minbari castes also be allowed to join. This was a condition that many Warriors refused to accept, causing many long serving Rangers to resign under orders from their military clans. With the Minbari membership of the Anla'Shok diminished by the long decline of support for the organization on Minbar, more than half of the Rangers of 2259-2261 were human, and many of the remaining Minbari were of the Religious Caste. Over time, this was overcome and Minbari warriors would again join the ranks of the Rangers, as would those of the Worker Caste. Following the founding of the Interstellar Alliance, membership became open to all Alliance Members, and within a year, there were Ranger trainees from Abbai IV (Abbai), Zhabar (Drazi), Pa'ri (Yolu), and even Pak'ma (pak'ma'ra). This forced centuries-old Anla'Shok training programs to adapt and evolve, to which many Minbari Anla'Shok - being a very conservative and traditionalist race - were opposed, especially for those among the Warrior Caste.Learning Curve Unlike the early Human recruits, it took some years before the new alien recruits were fully assimilated into the Anla'Shok, with some help and counsel from Entil'Zha Delenn. It wasn't until 2265 that Anla'Shok Tirk and Anla'Shok Na'Feel - each the first recruits from Zhabar and Narn, respectively - were given a shipboard assignment and then only at the insistence of Shok-na Martel. Emblem & Uniform To identify each other, members of the Anla'Shok wear a decorative, metal pin on the right breast. It bears two figures on the left and right, whose hands and feet join around a green jewel in the center. This jewel is known as isil'zha and loosely translates to English as "the future."A Late Delivery from Avalon Originally, the figures on either side were a pair of hands. After Jeffrey Sinclair became Entil'Zha in 2259 and membership in the Rangers became open to humanity, the figures became one Minbari and one human, symbolizing the unification of these two races - who were recently at war - unifying to stand against the ancient enemy. As with all other things in Minbari society, a special ceremony is observed when the metal of the pin is forged. After forging, the white-hot emblem is cooled in three bowls. The first is a type of holy water, used in a number of Minbari ceremonies, and the other two are said to be bowls of blood: one of Minbari blood, and one of human blood. The typical uniform worn by Rangers is made to resemble the robes worn by Entil'Zha Valen, the Minbari who founded the order. It consists of a dark-colored tunic and robes. The colors are muted but not so dark as to make them noticeable by contrast. References Category:Rangers Category:Minbari Federation Category:Interstellar Alliance Category:Titles Ranks & Honorifics Category:Anla'Shok